twhiteson

"Mike's Murder" was a box-office and critical bomb that was forgotten almost as soon as it quickly disappeared from theaters. A poorly written, cast, acted and directed attempt to create a film noir set in contemporary 1980's Los Angeles with lots of open sexuality and cocaine use.

The plot: Bank teller "Betty Parrish" (Winger) occasionally hooks-up with her tennis instructor "Mike" (Mark Keyloun) an irresponsible, drug-dealing/using, sometime "kept boy" who sexually plays for both teams. Mike and his obnoxious pal "Pete" (Darrell Larson) acting as drug mules decide to help themselves to some of the stash. Their clients are not pleased. Exit Mike. A panicked Pete goes on the run and starts acting like a deranged idiot. And Betty wants to find-out what happened.

Why? Her relationship with Mike is shown to be nothing more than tennis lessons and once-in-a-blue-moon hookups. There's NO romance or deep connection here. Yet she starts playing detective because she "loved" him. Huh?

What woman would even like, let alone love, Mike? He's broke. Trades sexual favors for free rent and board. Deals and uses drugs. Lies. Steals. Doesn't call when he says he will. Calls only when wants something like phone sex. Forgets dates. He's just a sleazy loser. And played by a terrible actor who's repulsive. Every time he appeared I kept thinking: "Look at his face. Look at his hair. Look at his head. His whole head s**ks!" Who thought casting this nobody was a good idea? Thankfully for audiences, Mr. Keyloun's Hollywood career was mercifully short.

"Mike's Murder" is an example of how a bad script and poor direction can undermine even a talented actress like Ms. Winger and make bad actors like Keyloun and Mr. Larson look even worse. The only actor who comes across fairly well is Paul Winfield as the gay music exec who "kept" Mike, but his scenes are brief.

In a sum, a wretched film with thoroughly unlikeable and/or boring characters for whom I felt zero connection or care. Mike got murdered? Too bad, so sad. Not really. The only real question is: what possessed Debra Winger, coming-off the massive critical/box-office hit "An Officer and a Gentleman," to accept this role when could have had her choice of almost anything else?

An attempt to turn 19-year-old Susan Strasberg, daughter of famed method acting coaches Lee and Paula Strasberg, into a star similar to other 1950's doe-eyed, brunette, pixie beauties such as Audrey Hepburn, Leslie Caron, and Maggie McNamara. Yet, it didn't happen. This awful film with its chief problem being Strasberg's appalling performance sank her career hopes before they could even get off of the ground.

As others have noted, "Stage Struck" is a remake of 1933's "Morning Glory" which was one of the films that made Katharine Hepburn a star. Yet, it didn't work as a vehicle for Miss Strasberg. She plays a naive New Englander who's convinced she's destined for Broadway stardom despite her total lack of experience. Somehow her "charm" and "talent" open doors to her and she does indeed become a star. Along the way, she navigates various romantic interests including producer "Lewis" (Henry Fonda) and "Joe" (Christopher Plummer in his film debut). However, the film is tepid, dull, and, at times, eyerollingly weird due to Strasberg's inability to make her character appear charming in the slightest or exhibit any discernible talent as an actress.

Overall, a forgettable and badly made film that Fonda was able to dust himself off from and fortunately didn't hurt the nascent careers of director Sidney Lumet and young Plummer. Yet it was fatal to Susan Strasberg's aspirations for stardom. She never again appeared as the lead of major Hollywood production. Maybe she was just too young and inexperienced. Two years later, she'd put in a fine (albeit dubbed in Italian) performance in "Kapo." She did have some talent, but Hollywood never really gave her another big chance after "Stage Stuck."